Does Journal Broadcast blackout hinge on Time Warner negotiations with CBS?

As the blackout of Journal Broadcast Group stations, including WTMJ-TV (Channel 4), on Time Warner Cable approaches its first-week anniversary, I submit the possible reason:

The cable company is distracted — perhaps obsessed — with first reaching an agreement in its similar dispute with CBS network-owned and -operated stations.

Those stations are in larger markets, and their blackout could cause a million-viewer revolt in major markets such as Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.

Which makes a resolution in its dispute with Journal Broadcast here in Bushville less of a priority.

At issue are fees paid by pay-TV companies to retransmit network, local and cable channel programming. CBS owns all three, which likely complicates its negotiations.

There has been plenty of activity in the last 24 hours in the CBS negotiations, though not necessarily progress. According to Media Bistro, after several contract extensions, the two sides failed to reach an agreement last night and Time Warner took CBS stations off the air, affecting millions of viewers. CBS-owned cable channels such as Showtime are also at risk.

The CBS president was quoted as saying: "We are now at war."

But wait — there's more.

Shortly after midnight, Time Warner announced that it was returning CBS channels to the air while they continue to negotiate. The new deadline is Friday.

Meanwhile, negotiations between Journal Broadcast and Time Warner appear at a standstill, and the blackout is now entering its sixth day.

What will happen next? I'd say look for a resolution at some point after the CBS negotiations are completed.

Whenever that is.

About Duane Dudek

Duane Dudek is a reporter and columnist covering radio and television. He also reviews movies.